


Friendly Competition

by e_katara



Category: Millenium (webcomic)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Human, First Meetings, M/M, Meet-Cute
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-17
Updated: 2018-11-17
Packaged: 2019-08-24 21:07:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16647800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/e_katara/pseuds/e_katara
Summary: A new tea shop is stealing all of Luzio's customers, and he's going to find out why.





	Friendly Competition

Luzio sighed heavily. "What the hell are you wearing?"

 

"These are our disguises," Keith said, trying to keep as straight a face as he could manage while Aaron buried his face in his shoulder to stifle his laughter.

 

Luzio looked them up and down, taking it all in. They looked like a couple of extras from the crappiest spy movie ever, decked out in knee length trench coats, heavily tinted sunglasses, and fedoras. Aaron had a newspaper folded up under his arm, and Luzio would put money on it having two holes in it. For spying through. Because these were the kinds of people he had _chosen_ to be friends with.

 

So maybe his judgment was a little questionable. But that was beside the point.

 

"Why, exactly, do you need disguises?"

 

"Well, we're going undercover, aren't we?" Aaron asked, grinning.

 

Luzio pinched the bridge of his nose and mentally counted to five. "No. No, we are not. We're just checking out the competition. This place has been stealing half our business, and I want to find out how."

 

"I don't know if what he's doing counts as 'stealing', per se," Aaron said.

 

Keith nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it seems to me he's just, y'know, running a successful business."

 

"No, he's - No, I mean - Oh, Whatever," Luzio spluttered. "That is just semantics. I still want to get our customers back. Come along then, let's check it out." Luzio squared his shoulders and took a deep breath before pushing the doors open.

 

A little bell chimed over his head and he suddenly felt like he was in another world. The room was a painted a warm green and decorated with earth tones, and all the furniture was wooden. The air was heavy and warm, filled with the aroma of a variety of herbs and spices. The room felt warm and calm, and there was gentle music playing softly over well concealed speakers. 

 

The space behind the counter was empty.

 

"I'll be with y'all in a minute," a deep voice called from a back room that was presumably a kitchen. He had a southern drawl and his voice was like warm honey, and Luzio absolutely didn't feel a pleasant shiver run down his spine at the sound. There were quite a few other people in the room, sitting at tables and chatting quietly. Keith and Aaron abandoned him, heading to an empty table in the corner and plopping into chairs. Aaron unfolded his newspaper and held it directly in front of his face.  Luzio's earlier suspicions were confirmed, as Aaron was very obviously peering through the two holes he cut out. Keith held his hand and gave Luzio his most innocent smile.

 

Luzio rolled his eyes. He'd deal with those two later. He browsed the shelves that lined the store, full of custom tea blends, fresh herbs, and admittedly delicious looking baked goods.

 

Okay, so maybe he could sort of see the appeal of a place like this. Maybe. He walked up to the counter to wait, idly perusing at the baked goods in the display case.

 

He didn't have to wait long before the deep voice from earlier came again, only a lot closer this time. "Hey there. Can I get you anything?" Luzio looked up, startled, only to lose his voice entirely. 

 

Oh. Oh, no.

 

 

The man behind the counter was _beautiful_. Tall, with tan skin and an easy smile, his dark hair pulled into a tidy bun at the back of his head... and Luzio’s throat was suddenly very dry, and he felt like his brain short circuited. He couldn’t process anything other than freckles, so many freckles, all over his cheeks and down to his neck where they disappeared under a dark green flannel... which stretched across broad, muscular shoulders, and...

 

_Fuck._ He was doomed.

 

Okay, words. Words would be good right about now. Normal, human words. He could do this. Probably.

 

"Uh... What did yo- Do you- Uh..... Tea?"

 

His grin broadened and he chuckled warmly. "That is what we specialize in here, yes. Any specific kind of tea, or...?"

 

Luzio gulped. "Uh... Could I get.... Green? Tea?"

 

"We have a few varieties of green tea. Jasmine, sencha, matcha..." he trailed off at Luzio's blank look. "Jasmine is our most popular though. Would you like to try that?"

 

"Oh, uh.. Yeah, sure?"

 

"I'll get that started for you right away," he said, turning away and busying himself with tea leaves. "That'll be $2.50. My name is Sage, by the way."

 

Luzio dug his hand into his pocket, pulling out his wallet to pay. "Uh, I'm Luzio."

 

"Oh! I, uh, kind of knew that. You own that coffee shop about a block away, right?" He seemed to be staring at the pot intensely, and Luzio may have been imagining it, but he thought Sage's cheeks might be flushed.

 

"Yeah.. Yeah, that's my place."

 

Sage poured his tea into a mug and carried it carefully back to the counter. "I've been meaning to stop by there for awhile, but I just haven't had the time," he said, rubbing at the back of his neck. He looked back up and gave Luzio a soft smile, but then there was a loud thud from somewhere behind Luzio, and Sage craned his head to see what was going on. He zeroed in on the table where Keith and Aaron were quietly bickering as they tried to pick up the napkin container they had clearly knocked off the table, and his eyes narrowed. "Hey, wait. Keith, is that you?"

 

Keith glanced up with wide eyes and Luzio could hear Aaron say "We're busted. Run!" in a horrible stage whisper as they both pushed themselves up and started to make a break for the exit.

 

"Sit. Back. Down," Luzio said, voice even but stern, freezing them in place just as they reached the door. They glanced over at him sheepishly before slinking back to their seats.

 

"Hi, Sage!" Keith called out casually, grinning.

 

"Hey, Keith. Hey Aaron," Sage said, giving them a bemused smile and scratching at the back of his neck. "So, uh... What's with the outfits?"

 

Luzio leveled his most threatening glare at the two of them, but that didn't stop Aaron from smiling broadly and answering, "We're here undercover."

 

Bastard.

 

Sage blinked in response, then shrugged. "Well, uh... It's always real nice to see the two of you, anyways! Would you like your usuals?"

 

They nodded and Sage chuckled and set to work, reaching for the tea leaves to brew.... their  _ usuals _ ? Luzio turned and gave them a pointed glare, to which they responded with smiles and exaggerated thumbs up.

 

So. Sage, owner of the tea shop that had been stealing his customers for months, not only knew Keith and Aaron -  _ his _ employees! His  _ friends _ ! - but they apparently visited his shop often enough to have regular orders. That he had memorized. Traitors.

 

He'd yell at them about that later, too. 

 

Fuck, okay. He has to stop getting distracted. He was here on a mission. Scope out the competition. Who.. already knew his name. And his employees. Who he seemed to be friends with.

 

He frowned. Oh, that charming son of a bitch was  _ good _ . Luzio had been so distracted by how handsome and nice and tall and strong he was and how nice his voice sounded and now he was back to being distracted, god damn it. He'd almost forgotten that he was an evil, scheming monster. With really, really pretty brown eyes. But no, that wasn't what was important. What was important was that he was  _ clearly _ planning not only to run him out of business, but to steal his employees while he was at it. He was clearly an evil genius.

 

Okay, time for plan B then.

 

"You are not going to run me out of business. I hope you know that," he told Sage, staring determinedly at the chalkboard above his head.

 

Sage cocked his head. "Run you out of... I'm sorry, what're you talkin' about?"

 

"You have been stealing my customers, now you're trying to poach my employees, you know my name even though this is the first time we've met, and-"

 

Sage burst out laughing. "Luzio, I swear to you that I am not tryin' to run you out of business. At all. I never meant to steal your customers, either. And I would never,  _ ever _ hire either of those two."

 

"Hey!" Keith protested, loudly. 

 

Sage didn't even acknowledge him. "They don't know the first thing about tea, they're loud, they're rambunctious, and they always leave the tables a mess," he said, giving them a pointed look. They shrugged and managed to coach their faces into something resembling remorse. "They're nice guys, and they're fun to chat with, but I would never hire them. Ever."

 

The anger flooded out of him. "Oh.. okay. Um. I am, uh... Sorry for accusing you?" he said with a sheepish shrug. "But how _did_ you know my name?"

 

Color flooded Sage's cheeks and he suddenly wouldn't meet Luzio's eyes. "Ah. That. Well, uh, Keith n' Aaron talk about you a lot, n', I dunno, I've seen you around a couple times and... I thought you were uh. I might have. Maybe, uh.. I mighta thought you were cute. Maybe."

 

Oh.

 

"Oh." Now it was Luzio's turn to blush. 

 

"I've maybe kinda had a little crush on you for a little while, actually? Sorry if that makes you uncomfortable, I just... You're real cute. And y'seem smart, and you've gotta be patient to have hired those two, and with the way they talk about you, you sounded nice, and... Now I'm rambling and I seem like a creep, lord, I'm so sorry..."

 

"Wait!" Luzio interrupted. "Wait. I... I'm not uncomfortable with it. I've actually been standing here trying to remember that I should be mad at you for stealing my business. I kind of.. kept getting distracted? Because, well. You happen to be very... And this place is so... And then you smiled at me? And I just..."

 

"Luzio, I'm gonna need you to finish a sentence here."

 

Aaron suddenly appeared next to him at the counter. "Luzio thinks you're cute too, and would very much like your phone number, and also maybe a date? Would tomorrow night work for you?"

 

Sage looked confused, and glanced to Luzio for confirmation. He glared at Aaron for a moment before nodding once, staring at the floor. "I... Well, I'd like that a lot. D'you think he'd like Italian food?"

 

Aaron nodded. "He loves Italian. Right, Luzio? Wait, maybe not, are vampires actually allergic to garlic, or is that a myth?" he asked, glancing at Luzio, who was staring daggers at him. "I'll take that as a no, then. In that case, he loves Italian! So, tomorrow night? Let's say... Six?" Sage and Luzio both nodded, a little stunned. "Perfect."

 

"I'll meet you here?" Luzio asked, and Sage smiled brightly.

 

"Yeah. Yeah, I'll be here. Uh, here's my card, by the way, in case you need to call or anything," he said, scrambling to slip one out of his pocket and scribble his cell phone number on the back.

 

Luzio grabbed the card and nodded again before turning to leave, followed by Aaron. Keith caught up with him and muttered "You know that doesn't count as you winning, right?"

 

Aaron grabbed his hand and intertwined their fingers, grinning up at him. "Yeah, but someone had to put them out of their misery. They would have kept stammering vague, flattering things at each all day."

 

"You know I can hear you, right?" Luzio asked with a heavy sigh.

 

"Yup!" Keith said. "You're welcome, by the way."

 

Luzio glared at them for a moment, before looking away and muttering "Thank you."


End file.
